The City of Castlegar will break ground on its new health care and housing project at 925 Columbia Avenue next spring, allowing ice users one more season at the Pioneer Arena.
Last year, the city entered a Memorandum of Understanding for a housing and health care project on the Pioneer Arena site.
Current plans for the project will see a four-storey, mixed-use building with clinical spaces on the ground floor and up to 68 new, non-market housing units on the upper floors.
A press release from the city stated that Lu’ma Native Housing Society will serve as the owner/operator for the housing component of the project.
In March, the city secured provincial funding through BC Housing’s Building BC: Community Housing Fund, but it’s still waiting to secure funding for the health care component.
The city said a spring 2025 start date gives the project team time to complete a detailed design of the project, allows more time to secure funding for the health care component, and provides one more season of use at the Pioneer Arena.
“We are excited to be able to announce a start date for construction of the housing project and we are glad ice users will have another year at the Pioneer while the RDCK engages the communities of Castlegar and Areas I and J on the future of recreation at the Community Complex,” said Castlegar Mayor Maria McFaddin.
“This project is one of the ways the city is working to meet the growing demand for smaller, more affordable housing units suitable for seniors, young families, and those finding it difficult to enter the housing market.”
The city said multiple councils have worked to develop a project that incorporates two of the community’s critical priorities: housing and health care.
“Improving primary healthcare services will make Castlegar a healthier and more liveable community. Creating modern clinical spaces will improve services and help recruit and retain healthcare professionals,” stated the city in a statement.
In 2023, the city identified a need for an additional 464 housing units to meet the growing demand for smaller, more affordable housing units suitable for seniors, young families, and those finding it difficult to enter the housing market.
While the project is expected to bring benefits to the community, Pioneer Arena ice users have been vocal about their concerns regarding the loss of the arena.
The arena was deemed at the end of its life in 2016.
The city said the site is the best location for the project because it’s centrally located, close to the city’s Urgent and Primary Care Centre, Emergency Room, Talaico Place, and is a flat site large enough to accommodate the project and future expansion.
The RDCK is currently engaging residents in the City of Castlegar and Areas I and J to reimagine the future of recreation at the Castlegar & District Community Complex.
This process is intended to hear from residents on how they imagine the future of recreation at the Complex. Part of this discussion will include the impact on ice users due to the closure of Pioneer Arena.
“We are pleased to work with the City of Castlegar to see Pioneer Arena be operational for an additional year,” said Joe Chirico, Regional District of Central Kootenay General Manager of Community Services.
“We will be reaching out to user groups who use Pioneer Arena to ensure they can adjust their usage requests for the 2024/2025 season.”
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